B.C. waves Seahawks’ 12th Man Flag

Seattle Seahawks star Richard Sherman made some fans for life when he paid a visit to Cambridge Elementary in Surrey last April. He arrived with Matthew Baxter, left, and brother Nicholas. Matthew won a contest which brought Sherman to his school. The Baxters have a Seahawks 12th Man Flag on display in the front window of their home.wayne leidenfrost Wayne Leidenfrost
/ Vancouver Sun

Bruce Webb of Maple Ridge shows his tattoo to Seahawks’ Richard Sherman during a visit by Seahawks players to The Village at Park Royal in West Vancouver, BC, July 13, 2013.Arlen Redekop
/ Vancouver Sun

Jaxson Smith, age 3, with mom Kim and dad Martyn, has his ball signed by Richard Sherman during a visit by Seahawks players to The Village at Park Royal in West Vancouver, BC, July 13, 2013.Arlen Redekop
/ Vancouver Sun

Player Richard Sherman during a visit by Seahawks players to The Village at Park Royal in West Vancouver, BC, July 13, 2013.Arlen Redekop
/ Vancouver Sun

Seahawk Richard Sherman, right, talks with Team 1040 voice Scott Rintoul during a visit by Seahawks players to The Village at Park Royal in West Vancouver, BC, July 13, 2013.Arlen Redekop
/ Vancouver Sun

A flag flies over the Space Needle representing the ‘12th man,’ which honours Seattle Seahawks fans, prior to the NFC Championship Game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Carolina Panthers on Jan. 21, 2006 in Seattle.Otto Greule Jr
/ Getty Images

VANCOUVER — From Ashland, Ore. in the south to Anchorage, Alaska in the north, Seahawks mania is evidenced everywhere, in drinking establishments, sporting goods stores and wherever politicians sense a growing popular movement.

The Seahawks may be Seattle’s National Football League team, but Cascadia has adopted the ’Hawks as their regional representatives in Sunday’s Super Bowl XLVIII against the Denver Broncos.

Seahawks jerseys are outselling the hometown Canucks by a two-to-one margin at a downtown Vancouver sporting goods store and public houses will be packed with locals cheering on their Pacific Northwest neighbours, as they were for the Seahawks’ victory over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC title game on Jan. 19.

“I’m a big NFL fan,” said Michael Smith, the mayor of West Vancouver, who will raise a 12th Man Flag Friday morning in his municipality to show the community’s support for the Seahawks. “I’ve been a New York Giants fan for 55 years, but the Seahawks certainly are a strong second. I’m happy to raise the flag and support them.”

The NFL team regards southwestern British Columbia as part of its constituency, with 10 per cent of the Seahawks season ticket base coming from the Lower Mainland. Every year, the 12th Man North tour visits the region as part of its outreach program. Smith said the Seahawks held a two-day camp for youngsters at Ambleside Park last year, with cornerback Richard Sherman and wide receiver Doug Baldwin taking part.

“It was a great event, at no cost for West Vancouver,” Smith said. “Richard Sherman and Doug Baldwin were very personable, a lot of fun. The Seahawks are our home team.”

The city of West Vancouver will show Super Bowl XLVIII on a large television screen at the community centre for public viewing.

In Victoria, meanwhile, mayor Dean Fortin will do the honours at another 12th Man flag-raising at noon, across from the B.C. legislature. Library Square in downtown Vancouver will also see a 12th Man flag unfurled at 4 p.m. Friday.

The 12th Man, a term more than 100 years old, refers to the intangible contribution made by fans to a football team’s success. The 12th Man flag-raising at CenturyLink Field, before Seahawks’ home games, has become something more than emotional support, however. The noise level it generates routinely tops 100 decibels, acting like the sound of an a electric drill in the earholes of opposition players, pumping up fans and making it a nightmare for blockers trying to hear the quarterback’s snap count.

Seahawks 12th Man flags usually adorn pubs and watering holes — and the occasional car or truck aerial, with a miniature version — but the Surrey home of Doug and Christie Baxter also has one prominently displayed in the front window.

Last April, their eldest son Matthew, then a grade four student at Cambridge elementary, won NFL Canada’s Take an NFL Player To School contest. Matthew and younger brother Nicholas had breakfast with the Seahawks cornerback, then got to drive with Sherman in a limo to school. Every kid at Cambridge got an NFL Play 60 T-shirt. The school was the beneficiary of NFL footballs and equipment and a $5,000 technology grant from Samsung Canada.

“Richard was totally engaging,” said Doug Baxter. “He went up to the boys’ rooms, looked at their posters and trophies, it was really awesome. Slowly, over the years, I’ve transferred my allegiance from the Chicago Bears to Seattle. My wife used to be a Dallas fan. Now she’s a Seahawks fan. Aside from myself, she is going crazy, waiting for Sunday’s game.”

According to ticket re-seller StubHub, about 18 per cent of buyers for Super Bowl tickets are coming from the state of Washington. That may not appear significant but it is.

It’s about double the percentage of StubHub buyers from Colorado — those fans, presumably, who would favour the Broncos.

What’s more, nudging 20 per cent is an unusually high number of transactions from a state not playing host to a Super Bowl, said StubHub spokesman Cameron Papp.

“It’s kind of surprising,” Papp explained. “Normally, we see the host state with the highest percentage of sales. Actually, this year it’s Washington. While 20 per cent doesn’t sound like a lot, it’s historically very high. Sales from Canada are a little over three per cent. That’s again because of the Seahawks. It’s double what it would normally be. I expect that’s because there are more Seahawks fans coming from British Columbia.”

Papp said 8.5 per cent of StubHub sales for Seahawks games during the regular season listed British Columbia as a home address. Those buyers paid an average of $210 US a ticket. The median price for the NFC championship game against the 49ers was $513, with six per cent of sales coming from B.C.

By way of contrast, about two per cent of StubHub sales for Buffalo Bills home games come from southern Ontario. (The driving distance from Toronto to Buffalo is 160 km, compared to a 225-kilometre commute from Vancouver to Seattle).

Uncertainty over weather conditions in the New Jersey/New York area early in the week caused prices for secondary tickets to dip, according to StubHub.

Sunday’s forecast, however, is for cloudy skies, a 10 per cent chance of precipitation with a high of 10 C, falling to 6 C for the 6:30 p. m. EST kickoff at MetLife Stadium.

The more benign outlook has begun to bolster consumer confidence in the secondary market.

The average Super Bowl ticket on StubHub is going for $2,800 US, with $10,530 being the most expensive and $1,100 the cheapest.

“It’s about normal, as in years past,” Papp said.

Capacity at MetLife Stadium is about 82,500, but there will be less than that number because of “seat kills” for the media and 30 international broadcast booths and additional support spaces.

Related Posts

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.